Cal football: Spring practice preview

Some spring practice details are below. But let’s start, as usual, with the big picture …

Before they can finalize their master plan, first-year head coaches must first determine their program’s identity: Where is the mesh point between the head coach’s philosophical preference and the type of players he has the best chance to recruit based on the program’s location, tradition, resources, etc.?

Another component to the master plan is determining the scheme and personnel required to unseat the conference kingpin.

Cal isn’t going anywhere in the North until it figures out how to overtake Stanford and Oregon, which have owned division for two years and conference for four. (Technically: Oregon for four, Stanford for three.)

What makes Sonny Dykes’ dilemma particularly interesting is the Cardinal and Ducks use vastly different systems to achieve their dominance.

How does Dykes go about building a roster and designing a playbook that will give the Bears the best chance of overtaking two very different heavyweights?

We got our first answer Wednesday, and if you’re a frustrated Cal fan, it’s the answer you wanted to hear: With power football.

You can’t win the North with finesse, folks. Although Dykes uses a no-huddle, quick-strike, pass-happy attack, he recognizes the need to run the ball between the tackles.

His defensive approach is much the same:

“The thing I felt we needed to do was get bigger inside,” he said last week. “The recent champions can run the ball. If you want to win the league, you have to stop the run.”

Now, I’m not convinced of the efficacy of four-man fronts — there aren’t nearly as many elite defensive tackles in the Pac-12 footprint as there are elite centers and guards.

The question is whether Cal’s transplanted outside linebackers can hold their own at defensive end … whether the existing defensive tackles are good enough (several ends will move inside, as well) … and whether Dykes can recruit good ones in the future.

To the news, notes and links from Dykes’ press conference:

*** BANG’s Jeff Faraudo reported last week that Brendan Bigelow (knee, but unrelated to previous injuries) expects to be 100% for training camp.

We’ll assume Dykes and his staff will make better use of Bigelow than their predecessors and call the report big news for the Bears.

*** Not surprisingly, Dykes was hesitant during his press conference to address the strengths and weaknesses of specific players or get into the nuances of position duels. He doesn’t really know what he has, after all.

He talked in general about “big bodies on the offensive line” … and “the defensive line being “better than I anticipated” … and the secondary being “athletic and quick.”

But as he said numerous times during the 90-minute session: “We’ll find out how well athleticism translates to being a good football player.”

He also said the Bears will “look terrible at first” because of the confusion caused by the new systems and alignments. “We’re teaching 90 guys something they’ve never done. It’s not going to look like poetry in motion,” he added.

The goal is to have a working depth chart on the third Monday of the spring (March 11).

*** In Dykes’ version of the no-huddle, the plays are signaled in separately to each unit. Someone signals to the receivers; someone else signals to the linemen; and to the quarterback; and the running backs.

Once the instructions have been received, the quarterback scans the defense and lets the guard know when he’s ready for the snap. The guard taps the center, and the center snaps when he’s ready.

That way, Dykes explained, the center can spend as much time as possible watching the defense.

*** Dykes on the quarterbacks: “I’d love to have a starter after Monday. But I don’t know how realistic that is.”

I’m not sure how realistic it is to expect a starter by the end of spring ball, frankly.

(Looking at Bridgford and Hinder, and thinking back to Brock Mansion, Kevin Riley and Zach Maynard, I once again find myself wondering how the Tedford staff could have missed on so many evaluations.) (Either that, or missed on the coaching end.)

It’s not difficult to envision a scenario in which Bridgford’s experience — even though it’s a new system — allows him to hold his own in the (presumed) competition with Zach Kline … until Kline’s talent eventually propels him into the starting role.

“Some guys will pick (the new system) up faster than they picked up the last one,” Dykes said, “and some will pick it up slower.”

Jon Wilner

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It shouldn’t be any surprise that a bunch of Cal players won’t be available for spring ball. After all, they only had about 4 million injuries during last season, and not all of them could have recovered by now.

MacAndrew

Hey Jon Wilner,
so why can’t I find an Oscars blog to comment on Seth MacFarlane’s performance. Who is in charge of the Entertainment section of your paper? Since Kawakami took some time off, would you be willing to discuss? If ESPN’s PTI does that kind of stuff, why not you.

Seriously, I need people to offer opinions on the song “We saw your Boobs”.

maddogsfavsnpiks

JonWilner writes :

“(Looking at Bridgford and Hinder, and thinking back to Brock Mansion, Kevin Riley and Zach Maynard, I once again find myself wondering how the Tedford staff could have missed on so many evaluations.) (Either that, or missed on the coaching end.)

It’s not difficult to envision a scenario in which Bridgford’s experience — even though it’s a new system — allows him to hold his own in the (presumed) competition with Zach Kline….”

Hmmm, sub 50% passes completed!, exceedingly high ratio of INTs per passes completed, 3 INTs to 1 TD, and it doesn’t look like he has much real mobility….

Hmmm, looks to me that Tedsel didn’t miss on Bridgford as much as Bridgford missed his receivers. While Hinder has NO game experience at all. Perhaps they looked good to you in practice, Jon ? FYI, there’s a big/Bigger/HUGE diff between Spring practice and actual game time conditions, JW, in case you hadn’t noticed. But maybe you coulda done a better job than his Tedness ? Curious… did you apply ?

rotfogel

@MacAndrew:
Seth MacFarlane was the best host in the history of the Oscars….in my opinion. He made me laugh numerous times and made the ‘women’s superbowl’ enjoyable to watch for me. Did he cross the line with his jokes? Hell yes he did, that’s the point, he entertained the crap out of me. I can’t remember watching an Oscars ceremony in which I actually enjoyed the entire thing. I enjoyed every moment of this Oscars because of Seth MacFarlane.

Coach Johnny Dawkins

Hahahaha, MacFarlane was absolutely great! He represented Fratboy humor at its best! Rock on Mac!

awaiting moderation

JD and the shine on band: i did not realize your sunday nites were so boring. sympathy cards on the way.

i am humbly representing myself as the combined mental midget notso shur, shur enuff and other pasty whiners. The estemed Rabid one was correct. Wisconsin was ranked between 23-30 prior to the rose bowl. I am so old i never look below twenty. still wont, but i will shut my toothless mouth!

Just thought I’d drop a line from Zermatt where I am enjoying skiing the Alps and learning to yodel. You should see my new lederhosen!! My next stop is gay Paree in the spring!!

I saw a piece in the paper about slow ticket sales. Guess that plan to fire me isn’t working out quite like the AD planned. Oh, well, it is working out great for me, and I will certainly buy a ticket to a game or two off Craigslist if it looks like the team is any good.

Auf wiedersehen!

Jeff

ps: Oski Bites!

Ranger John

@ Awaiting Johnny D should have been having a late practice instead of the Oscars.

As for new coach and spring ball, I think you’ll find that creating a solid “widebody” Dline is his #1 priority. His good teams at LA Tech had great run stoppers, until this last year.

Koby Cameron was in the system 2 full years before really opening it up…Cal QB wannabe Goff will get the nod after the 3rd game next fall, if not sooner.

Don’t know Cal’s schedule but 4 wins are a first year goal in my mind.

maddogsfavsnpiks

@Ranger in the John, #7, …”4 wins” could be a bit of a stretch Johnny… There’s only one gimme (Portland St) game 2, on the sched…

They begin with the NW Wildcats who’re coming off a fine 10-3 ssn; including a close loss to Michigan in OT, a 1pt.loss to B1G CAN’T-COUNT-TO-12 League runner-ups Nebraska, and a tough loss to Penn St. The Cats have a fine nucleus of 14 or so vets coming back, plus a proven vet coach, Pat Fitzgerald, entering his 8th yr in Evanston – a tough place to win – but he’s 50-39 overall.

Then after Port St, the NCG contending Buckeyes come to Strawberry Fields Forever, uh-oh, and then 2 weeks later it’s off to certain death and defeat at the webbed feet of the Fighting Feathered Duckies, in Eugene. So itz mostly likely 1-3 right after kick-off.

i’d say the next stretch is pivotal, starting with WSU in Berzerk-town; if they don’t win that one, the wheels start coming off and it’s Katy-bar-the-door with road trips to Pasadena and Seattle, sandwiched around an always tough match-up with Ward, June, Wally n the Beav = possibly 1-7 at freaky, yikey, Dykey Halloweenie time…

The final month features home games with RichRod’s resurgent Zona, and the imploding Toejams, so maybe they can sneek a win there ?, before it’s off to mile-high to face your ol’ turncoat coach in never-never-Buffaland…should be an interesting match up of division cellar-dwellers.

Bearmeat n rice, take my advice, latch on to one of those earlier win possibilities, cuz there ain’t one forthcoming on Nov 23rd ! — before itz off to High-Bare-Nation-heaven for another LOOOONG COOOLD winless winter…

rotfogel

@maddogsfavsnpiks,
Not sure if you saw Cal play last year AT Ohio St. Cal should have won the game. I don’t think Ohio St will win this time around. I know I’m alone in that sentiment, but I watched that game carefully, Cal has more talent than Ohio St did last year and this year it’ll be about the same. The big difference of course being the coach and the new system. The talent is there, it’s just a matter of if they can acclimate to the new system.

If Cal’s OLine can sort itself out, they’re WR core (includes TEs) is perhaps the tops in the Pac 12 this year.

Ah hypothetical situations, you never know.

Nor-Cal Scott

@Rotfogel, slow down… Ya, Cal should have won that game vs the Luckeyes, but OSU got A LOT better after week three when the Bears were in Cbus. They went undefeated! That’s a fairly good Big10 conference. Nothing would please me more that to beat tOSU, but barring a huge earthquake and the stadium crumbling down, I do not see that happening.

Cal has a tough schedule, period. At this point in time I’d guess 3 or 4 wins. Now, if the team picks up the new offense well, a QB stands out as a clear master of the BearRaid offense, and we get a few lucky breaks we might get lucky and hit 7 wins…. but don’t hold your breath.

Remember, the Golden Bears are UNDEFEATED right now! Let’s leave the negativity of the past few seasons behind us, and rally around Dykes & Staff. We have a ton of young talented kids on the roster, a new coaching staff, and one helluva great facility to assist in recruiting. Give Dykes 3 years and I strongly believe we will be on par with Stanfurd and the fluttering Ducks.

GO BEARS!!

“It’s a Sonny day in Strawberry Canyon!”

maddogsfavsnpiks

@#9, loudspeaker : “number nine, calling number nine” …you there ? – yes, i’m glad you brought that OhioSt@Cal game up, my dear Rottenthotham, because yes i did watch that game, and yes, also very closely, intently, intensely in fact, as i do most games, also, fyi i watched from the perspective of a former coach and player… intrigued by the matchup of two master coaches, Urban “Legend” Meyer and Jeff “pigskin chef” Tedford… and tru to form, poor Tedsel served up a nice dish of Bigelow, Allen n Harper and almost gave the Bucks a case of indigestion… and what ? still no luck, and not even a li’l R-E-S-P-E-C-T ala Aretha frum u n yur dum fans, my dear Rottenthothams…
But here’s a tip forya, if you’re man enough to take it, Rottenthotham, it’s one of the key, Cardinal Rules of Football Betting, talent scouting, and all round intelligent observation :

All I’m saying is here’s what COULD happen next year, realistically:
Sonny Dykes scheme could utilize the speed of Harper, Treggs and Rogers. Really curious to see what he can do with Rogers, that guy really is ultra talented.
Cal’s defense could have a good defensive line: Coleman, Barr, Moala and Jalil are good players. Chris McCain is a very good DE as is Scarlet.
CB McClure could rebound and be all conference, he’s good.